Stitch-slacking device for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

B. G. WOODWARD & 0.1V10NEIL.

STITCH SLAGKING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES. No. 597,663. PatentedJa11f18,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT tron.

RUSSEL G. WOODVVARD, OF VVAIIKEGAN, AND CHESTER MGNEIL, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION SPECIAL SEWING MACHINE COM- PANY, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STlTCH-SLACKING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,663, dated January18, 1898. Application tiled October 8,1895. Serial No. 565,036. Nomodel.)

To all whom, it ntay concern.-

Be it known that we, RUssEL G. VVOOD inSewing-lllachines, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the acxo companyingdrawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention relates to an improvement in sewing-machines, and isherein illustrated as applied to that class of machines in which i aplurality of vertically-reciprocating needles is employed, incombination with supplemental thread. -carriers reciprocating back andforth in front of the needle across the line of the seam and layingthreads from one row of stitches to the other, -the rows of stitchessecurely binding said cross-threads, and including also a cooperatingunder-thread-car rying looper which carries the cross-thread back andforth between the needle-loops of the under side of the fabric andenchains therewithjorming a seam well known in' the trade and useful forornamenting the fiat face of a fabric, for uniting the edges of twopieces of fabric, or for forming ornamental 0' edges on garments. Suchmachines as generally constructed comprise two verticallyreciprocatingneedles, a single under-threadcarrying looper, thread-carrying fingersfor laying a cross-thread on the upper surface of the fabric, the singlelooper making the crossstitch on the lowersurface, and a throat-platehaving a tongue or tongues over which the stitches are formed and fromwhich the stitches are withdrawn as the fabric moves forward, thusmaking an elastic stitch. More than two needles have been used on suchmachines, as shown in Patents N 0,506,524, granted October 10, 1893, toGeorge D. Munsing, and No. 506,527, granted October 10, 1893, to LorenzMother, in which cases three needles are shown and the throat-platehastwo tongues over which the stitches are formed.

While we have illustrated the device forming the feature of our presentinvention in connection with a machine of the character above referredto, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited to itsapplication to a machine comprising supplemental threadcarrying fingerson the upper surface of the fabric. Furthermore, we do not desire to belimited in respect to the number of needles used, as it may apply tomachines having a vibrating needle or cloth-plate as well as machines inwhich two or more needles are used reciprocating vertically and parallelone with another-as, for instance, as shown in the well-known UnionSpecial twin-needle machine illustrated in Patent No. 3%,493, in whichthe single looper of the under surface of the fabric makes across-stitch, the under thread being laid beneath the tongue on thethroat-plate, which acts to support the material and prevent it frombeing puckered and also acts to make the stitch elastic.

The invention therefore consists in the matters hereinafter describedand referred to in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation of a sewingmachine constructed inaccordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a'plan view showingone form ofthroatplate and feed-dog adapted for a fiat-bed machine. Fig. 3 is aplan view of a form of feeddog. Fig. 4. represents a plan view of thethroat-plate and feed-dog, the former being of shape to adapt it to acylinder or horn machine in which the feed is up the arm. Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. 2, but showing the tongue on the feeddog notched,whereby it acts as a portion of the feed itself; and Fig. 6 is asectional view showing the arrangement of the threads with respect tothe feed-dog tongue. Fig. 7 is aplan View showing a feed-dog adapted foruse on the threeneedle machine.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine, which is ofordinary construction. Bis the main shaft; 0, the needle-arm lever; D,the needle-bar actuated thereby, and a, the looper cotiperating with theneedles to form stitches, making a cross-stitch on the under surface ofthe fabric. These parts are all of the construction shown in thewellknown Union Special machines, are actuated in the usual manner, andneed not be herein specifically referred to. In the present machine weuse two needles, (marked 1),) which are secured to the needle-bar in thecustomary manner, making two parallel rows of stitches and secured. onthe under side by the looper-thread. Any number of needles may of coursebe used.

F G represent oscillating thread-carriers reciprocating back and forthacross the line of the seam in front of the needles, so as to lay thethreads which they carry between the outer rows of stitches, thecross-threads being bound by said outer rows. The thread-carrier F issupported upon the end of the horizontal arm R, which has a collar uponits innor end embracing the vertical shaft H. The carrier G is supportedupon the end of a horizontal arm R, which is driven by a segmental gearon the lower end of said shaft H. It will be understood that movement isimparted to the shaft II by suitable intermediate connections from themain shaft, and in the move ment of said shaft H the thread-carriers F Gweave the threads 1 2 across between the rows of stitches 3 4: and aresecurely fastened thereby.

I represents the throat -plate, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted tobe used on a fiat-bed machine and, as shown in Fig. 4, on a cylinder orhorn machine, this throat-plate being secured to the bed-plate in anysuitable manner. It is provided with long narrow slots for the passageof the feed-surfaces i and with a wide oblong slot through which at therear end projects the feeding-surface Z, while at the front thereprojects through it a portion K of the feed-dog. This portion K, asshown in Fig. 2, is smooth on its upper surface, is provided withopenings for the passage of the needles, and between these open-' ingsor slots is a tongue m, hinged to have a limited vertical swingingmovement and over which the stitches are formed and which aids in makingthem elastic, and this tongue is preferably chamfered off on its undersurface to allow of the more ready slipping off of the stitches. Byhaving this tongue over which the stitches are formed arranged on thefeeddog very material ad vantages are secured over a construction inwhich the tongue is on the throat-plate in that the tongue moves in thedirection of the feed and backs out of the loops of thread which arearound it, thereby preventing any breaking away or distortion of thefabric which is likely to occur in other instances where the feedpositively carries the stitches with the goods off the tongue.Furthermore, by having the tongue on the feeddog and having it partakeof the rising-andfalling mot-ion, as well as the forward-andbackwardmotion, it acts to a certain extent as a pull-01f for the upper thread.

In Fig. 5 we have shown a view similar to Fig. 2, but in which thetongue of the feeddog over which the stitches are formed is notched,just as are the other parts of the feed-dog,which possesses certainadvantages in that it provides a feeding-surface acting on the fabricbetween the points where the needles are operating, which preventsdrawing or puckering of the work, especially on thin and sleazy goods.The especial object of having the tongue hinged is that the latter maybe held in one position by the threads that is, up against thepresser-footduring all the movements of the feed. As far as this featureof the hinged tongue isconcerned we do not wish to be limited to itsapplication to the feed-dog, as it may be applied to a throat-plate orpresser-foot having means for reciprocating it in the direction of thefeed. This arrangement may have certain other ad vantages which in itsuse have not yet become manifest, but which we intend to cover in thisapplication. In Fig. 4 we have shown our improved feed-dog as used inconnection withthe throat-plate to be applied to a cylindrical or hornmachine. In Fig. 7 is shown a form of feed-dog adapted for use onthreeneedle machines, in which two tongues are provided which arehinged.

Ne do not claim, broadly, a reciprocating finger orfeed-dog' tongueextending into the vertical plane in which the needles lie and in thepath of the cross-stitch device and re ciprocatin g in a plane betweenthe fabric and said cross-stitch device.

Having thus described our invention,what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with stitch -forming mechanism of a swinging stitchslacking tongue or finger extending lengthwise in a plane parallel withthe line of feed, and means for reciprocating said tongue in thedirection of its length; substantially as described.

2. A sewing-machine having stitch forming mechanism including a devicefor making a cross-stitch and having a tongue pivoted to swingvertically intersecting the path of the cross stitch device across whichtongue stitches are formed; substantially as described.

3. A sewing-machine comprising afeed-dog having a tongue hinged theretoacross which tongue the stitches are formed; substantially as described.

4. Asewing-machine comprisingafeed-dog having a tongue hinged theretoacross which tongue the stitches are formed, said tongue being providedon its upper. side with teeth similar to the teeth on the body of thefeeddog; substantially asidescribed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

RUSSEL G. WVOODVVARD. CHESTER MONEIL.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TROWBRIDGE, E. L. BLAIKIE.

